World Notes SOUTH AFRICA

As an outspoken opponent of apartheid, Anthony Bloom, chief executive of the Premier Group, a giant milling concern that had sales last year of $3.1 billion, has long been one of South Africa's foremost liberal businessmen. His company was among the earliest to recognize the anniversary of the 1976 Soweto uprising as a workers' holiday.

To the dismay of South Africa's liberal establishment, Bloom, 48, announced last week that he was leaving the country to settle in Britain. Bloom cited "serious personal and family reasons" for the move. His stepdaughter is receiving medical treatment in Britain. But he also said that South Africa's state of emergency was "frightening away liberals." Many of the country's leading citizens are choosing to live elsewhere. In the past five years, while only 52,000 whites have immigrated to South Africa, about 148,000 have left.